Idea of Smart City Not Clear Even to Modi: Digvijaya Singh

“The greenery of Bhopal was destroyed for developing it as a smart city."

Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh Sunday said the idea of smart city was not clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

He was referring to the Modi government’s flagship ‘Smart Cities Mission’, which is aimed at developing 100 smart cities, including Bhopal, in the country.

“The definition of a smart city is not clear to Narendra Modi himself. What is a smart city?… The greenery of Bhopal was destroyed for developing it as a smart city,” Singh said in a press conference, where he shared his vision document for Bhopal.

Singh said the capital of Madhya Pradesh could be developed as a global city. “The master plan of Bhopal would be released by 2020, after seeking suggestions from all the stakeholders,” he said.
“According to the city’s needs and as per the law, the master plan of Bhopal should be prepared every ten years…But the (erstwhile) BJP government skipped two master plans of the city in the last 15 years,” he added.

The Congress leader also promised to develop a clinic in every ward of Bhopal, apparently on the lines of the mohalla clinics set up in Delhi by the AAP government there.

Besides promising the industrial development of Bhopal and setting up of satellite townships, Singh also promised house to every homeless.

In the vision document, he also promised development of a sports hub, a film city, an art city for artists and writers, and safe environment for women, children and senior citizens, among other things.